ERP 101: How it streamlines your business growth (and why you should leave it to the professionals)

New to entrepreneurship? Seasoned vet? No matter where you are on the spectrum of owning a business, chances are that you’ve heard about Enterprise Resource Planning (ERPs) software. 

ERP’s are systems that document and gather essential business information so that your business’s operations can run more efficiently, become more sustainable, and streamline business growth.

But if you’ve been eager for the nitty-gritty details of *how* ERPs can do this, we’re here to break it down. Along with with one-insider tip that’ll ensure your long-term success when it comes to utilizing this game-changing technology.

How It Streamlines Your Success

Putting your business’s success in the hands of technology may sound a bit risky, but we promise — you’re looking at it the wrong way. ERPs are not here to take over your business. They’re here to empower it by empowering you. ERPs streamline the success of your business by connecting, managing, and handling all different departments of your business to provide applicable information to those who need it as fast and as up-to-date as possible. Without you having to lift a finger, pick up a phone, or send an email. 

Let’s set the scene. With an ERP in your back pocket, on any given day, your accounting department might be letting your manufacturing department know that payment has been received and a shipment can be sent out while your CRM is also getting a notification to send out a shipment notification to your client! Having information like this readily available to necessary users as it becomes available across all departments of your business is essential to allowing every employee within your business to stay on the same page. 

Having all necessary departments in the loop is also key to allowing your team to detect when things may need to be changed. For instance, if a client were to place a big order and manufacturing enters that stock is running low, a trigger could be set up to notify that more of a product needs to be made available, which in turn can notify that the budgeting for something also needs to be increased. 

ERPs do what typical manpower cannot. It’s everywhere and anywhere, all at once, within your business. Giving you the support you need to make the most confident, effective, and strategic decisions in your business at any given moment.  

Stable Support

Now for the insider tip that can elevate and strengthen how you utilize this game-changing technology: don’t manage it on your own. 

Partnering with certified professionals (like us here at Ekwani) can help you get stable support and effective use out of your system as you create and maintain your success. Here’s how. 

Clarity 

The #1 common mistake we see and hear when it comes to implementing ERPs, is companies who choose ERPs that are not right for them. This is a big mistake because ERPs like NetSuite are massive. They’re filled with modules, features, benefits, and customizations that most will never know. Choosing an ERP providing more than you need or less than you need can overwhelm you and cause you to make a bigger investment than necessary. Working with professionals can help ensure that you choose the right ERP for your business and your budget. 

Resources

Implementing an ERP isn’t something that will happen on its own. It’ll need time and dedication from your staff and the best of them at that. This is why lack of resources is another common mistake we see and hear companies running into often. When implementing your ERP, you need a team dedicated to its success that knows the plan, the steps and can make sure employees at lower levels are being consistent and active in deploying its success. 

Support You Can Count On

Your team and your expertise are invaluable to the success of your business. We know this. But you can’t do it all on your own while maintaining high-quality service and honoring your time. You need support and ERPs like NetSuite and the professionals (like us) that help run them are here to provide that. 

If you’re interested in switching or implementing an ERP into your system, reach out to our team to find out how we can help!